Tin Soldiers
by Nytewing
Summary: Some days Tony has trouble remembering why they became friends (Bruce always says it was when Tony latched onto Bruce like a fungus and Bruce didn't care enough to scrape him off, Tony says it was the other way around and oh-by-the-way that's derogatory to fungi). It doesn't matter really. Tony will always be grateful he got kicked out of the boarding school in New York.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: AU, Marvel and DC universes exist together. Begins when Tony Stark is 12 and Bruce Wayne is 10.

Warnings: strong, pervasive language

Tin Soldiers: Part 1

Tony doesn't think he's ever been more pleased to see a place for the last time. He hates St. Margaret's School for Boys with every fiber of his being. He hopes (perhaps futilely) that his parents with just give up on the ridiculous idea of him going to school. It's stupid. He's twelve and already taking a mix of junior and senior level classes. Even with AP courses still to come he'll be out of high school in two years.

He thinks his father would probably be okay with him testing out of the rest of his schooling, but his mother will never agree. So, despite his arguments, three weeks after leaving St. Margaret's he's walking through the doors of the Gotham Hills Academy. Really his parents hadn't wanted to look at schools in New Jersey, but Tony had left them few options in New York. He plans to be kicked out of this one before fall break (his current record for quickest dismissal is two months at St. Margaret's but he was slacking off in his trouble-making there, he can do better).

He makes plans and squirrels away supplies for pranks and generally intends to wreak havoc. Jarvis drops him off in his dorm room with a stern look that Tony pretends to misunderstand. This is going to be fun.

His first day of classes rolls around. He goes to English (useless) and History ( _really_ useless but at least interesting) and AP chemistry (he actually likes that one) and finally AP computer science. It's there, hidden from his teacher's sight by a large monitor that he decides to have a little fun. He's the youngest kid in the class (by at least four years) and no one is paying him any attention. He cracks his fingers and gets to work. Time to make sure he never has to go to another English class again.

He makes it through the first firewall and into the class schedules when someone appears at his side. The kid is scrawny (and Tony would know, he's not yet had a growth spurt and he's starting to think he never will). He has a shock of neatly combed black hair that makes Tony reconsider his ban on even thinking about touching his own hair in the mornings and the brightest blue eyes Tony has even seen. They're wide and serious as they look at Tony's computer screen.

"What do you want?" Tony hisses. How the hell had some little elementary schooler escaped its keeper long enough to wander into this classroom?

The boy doesn't take his eyes off the computer screen.

"You missed a backslash," he mutters quietly enough not to be heard by their teacher (who is still droning his way through the class roster for roll call). Tony looks at the line the kid is looking at. Well fuck. He quickly types a backslash and glares at the kid.

"Shoo!" He whispers, "Go back to recess or wherever you're supposed to be right now." The kid smirks and settles into the seat closest to Tony. The teacher makes it few a few more names.

"Go!"

The kid shakes his head and then raises his hand and says in a normal tone of voice, "Here, Mr. Fuller."

Done with roll the teacher (Mr. Fuller?) starts lecturing. It dawns on Tony that the kid actually supposed to be in this class. He's instantly intrigued. Not many people can keep up with him. If a nine year old is in this class, well, he must be at least passably intelligent….

"What's your name?" he asks quietly.

"Bruce." The kid is taking notes (by hand! Like a caveman) but he pauses long enough to give Tony an unreadable look.

"Tony Stark," Tony tells him, "So, what are you? Eight? Nine?"

Bruce is not nine (he's ten, still a baby in Tony's opinion). He is, however, the most infuriating little robot of a human being Tony has ever had the displeasure of calling a friend. Really, he's not even sure why he puts up with the ass. He's an insufferable little know-it-all who couldn't care less about those around him and Tony- Okay, he can't even finish that thought in the privacy of his head. Bruce is probably the only person on Earth smart enough to keep up with Tony (mostly that is, Bruce is genuinely terrible at differential calculus, but that's okay – Tony would probably fail history without Bruce at his side). The point is, he likes Tony and he listens to Tony and, well, that means a lot to the lonely twelve year old.

So, despite what he tells everyone, Tony doesn't really hate Bruce. He does hate the cold the little bastard's attitude some days. See, Bruce is a fucked up kid (and Tony knows fucked up kids, he likes to think of himself as the poster child for fucked up). He never sleeps, which Tony only knows because he rarely sleeps himself, he never talks (that's okay, Tony talks enough for ten people), and he never smiles (Tony likes that, people are always faking smiles at him). But, on the other days, on Tony's favorite days, Bruce is the best sort of sounding board. He listens to Tony and he points out the flaws in Tony's schemes before those flaws can get him killed. Sometimes he even cracks a little grin. It's most genuine, kind thing that Tony has ever had directed at him. He wants to hold onto the feeling it gives him forever.

Sometimes, Tony has trouble remembering why they became friends (Bruce always says it was when Tony latched onto Bruce like a fungus and Bruce didn't care enough to scrape him off, Tony says it was the other way around and oh-by-the-way that's derogatory to fungi). It doesn't matter really. Tony will always be grateful he got kicked out of the boarding school in New York.

Things are rough at first. Bruce is quiet when Tony is loud, mad when Tony is calm, passionate when Tony is laconic. But, weirdly enough, they work. One day, as Halloween approaches Tony realizes he has no plans to get dismissed from this school.

Tony spends pretty much all of his time in Bruce's room. He takes apart (and forgets to put back together) every alarm clock the school provides. Bruce retaliates by learning Old Church Slavonic and refusing to speak English to Tony for three weeks. Tony doesn't sleep, he prefers to spend the night hours elbow deep in wires and circuits, but when Tony's body eventually decides he _has_ to sleep he steals Bruce's bed and wakes up to the younger boy's foot pressed against his spine. He thinks those nights are probably the best sleeps he's ever had.

They almost get suspended for sneaking a bottle of whiskey into the old science lab in the basement and trying to build a robot (his name is A.L.V.I.S. and he's supposed to help Alfred and Jarvis but they never quite makes it past the tinkering stage).

Three years pass. Tony gets kicked out of school and let back in (huh, daddy's money is good for a lot more than he thought). Bruce is always writing in a tiny little notebook he never lets Tony see. Tony falls in and out of love faster than most people could keep up with the names. Bruce stops flinching when Tony throws his arms around the smaller boy.

Tony graduates.

He starts college just before his fifteenth birthday. At first he drinks and parties and tries to pretend he's not mourning the best friendship he thinks he'll ever have. Why would Bruce want to still be friends with him? He's loud and annoying and selfish and dangerous and more awful things than Tony even wants to think about most days. Really, Bruce is too good for all that. Tony tries to be happy- Maybe he won't ruin Bruce like he ruins everything else.

He meets AFROTC cadet James Rhodes at a party and immediately refuses to call him anything but Rhodey. Rhodes is a ridiculous name. He thinks maybe he has a friend-type because Rhodey's _I'm-disappointed-in-you_ glare could rival Bruce's any day of the week. Rhodey makes the end of his friendship with Bruce easier, not by much, but it's at least tolerable now.

Then, Tony's birthday rolls around and Bruce shows up at MIT with a cupcake and a glare.

"Brucie?" Tony asks. He's hungover and can't remember the last time he slept. Maybe he's hallucinating all this? That wouldn't be good, he shou-

"Tony," Bruce parrots back mockingly, "I see you're trying to pickle yourself in Jaeger."

Well, that settles that. Only the real Bruce could pack so much I-care-about-you-you-absolute-moron into a single quirked eyebrow.

Tony lets him in. They split the cupcake and Tony tries to pretend he isn't fighting back tears when Bruce hands over handwritten code to improve the motion of A.L.V.I.S's main lifting arm (the papers are smudged and coffee stained and wrapped in a perfectly tied red ribbon). Later, Rhodey shows up with beer and a few shitty movies. He's a little wide eyed to be meeting _Bruce Wayne_ but Tony teases him and Bruce smiles at him until he relaxes and everything is perfect.

Two more years and Tony graduates again (Bruce is still in high school, the absolute slacker).

This time he doesn't worry that Bruce will leave him. Mostly because Bruce has made it very clear that Tony would need a court order to keep him away and Tony really can't be that bothered. Rhodey gets deployed to Afghanistan and Tony spends the first month after graduation loafing around Gotham with Bruce and pretending he's not worried about their older friend. During this time, He decides that Alfred and Jarvis must never meet. The world might explode from the sheer concentrations of sass and British propriety in a single location in they did.

One day, Bruce takes Tony out to meet his parents. Tony doesn't know what to say. But, Bruce doesn't seem expect him to say anything. He leans down to pat the stone.

"This in Tony," Bruce says, "He's my friend. You'd like him, I think." Tony smirks. He's made it his goal to be the sort of guy parents aren't so sure they approve of.

He waits until Bruce starts back towards the house before he whispers, "He's a great kid," at the stones and flees. Ugh, emotions give him hives.

It's not three months later that his own parents die in a car crash. He thinks he should probably be more sad about that. But, really he can only summon tears for Jarvis, the steady presence that made his life seem at least vaguely normal. He loved that old bastard with every ounce of love his shriveled heart could muster.

Hundreds of people show up to his parents' funeral. Obadiah's hand is tight on Tony's shoulders and Tony's eyes are bone dry. He's drunk.

Bruce and Alfred are the only other ones at Jarvis' service. Tony is horrifically sober. He manages to make it home and through more alcohol than he should probably consume before the tears start. Bruce doesn't leave his side until he is forced to for school.

Two more years pass and Bruce graduates high school. He's going to Princeton and even though Tony gives him shit for it (because come on _Princeton?_ ) he's actually crazy proud.

Things are pretty great for almost six months. Tony visits Bruce and Bruce visits Tony. They trade ideas and insults and their companies thrive. Tony even manages to cut back on the drinking just a little. It's hard to use a welding torch when he's three sheets to the wind.

Of course, nothing can ever stay right for too long and the worst happens. Bruce disappears.

Tony personally searches for as long as he can before the Board demands he return. He tells them to fuck off and would have probably searched forever if Obi hadn't asked him to come home. He's never really been able to say no to Obi.

So, Tony drinks. He invents and he codes and he drinks. One day, two years after Bruce vanished without a trace, JARVIS wakes up for the first time.

"Good morning, sir," JARVIS says and Tony cries. He cries because he misses his best friend and the only adult he ever thought of as a real parent is dead and he's terrified for Rhodey who apparently decided a fucking warzone is a great place to hang out and he doesn't want to be stuck in a lab inventing shit. He wants to be in Africa or Asia or Europe or anywhere but here. He wants to be looking for Bruce because he heard rumors that the Wayne Enterprises board is looking to have Bruce declared dead. He screams and curses when he hears that. It's only been two years! Bruce should have seven to return home before he's officially dead.

He doesn't sleep for more time than he's comfortable thinking about and when he wakes up after collapsing there's a pretty redhead staring at him with wide eyes and a clipboard of papers clutched to her chest.

"Hello?" He slurs.

"Mr. Stark," she says. He gives her points for confidence. He's sure he reeks of alcohol and b.o. and everything else but she says nothing about that (or about the fact that he's wearing sweatpants and a ratty t-shirt in the multi-million dollar lab of SI).

"Well," he gestures for her to sit, "What do you want?" He's being rude, but he doesn't really care. He hasn't cared about much for just over two years now.

"You made a mistake," she holds the clipboard out to him. Bright blue eyes flash in his head, he forces the memory of meeting his probably-dead best friend far to the back of his mind.

"Impossible," he mutters. He doesn't make math mistakes. He ignores the little voice in his head with the Jersey accent that says _of course_ he makes mistakes, just look at the disaster of his 11th grade independent study.

He glares at the papers she handed him. Dammit. She's right. It's a simple arithmetic error but it would have cost SI millions.

He snaps the fingers of his free hand at her. "Name?"

"Virginia Potts."

"Nice to meet you, Pepper," he says and that is that. Suddenly he isn't quite so alone in the world. He thinks Bruce would approve of Pepper (and especially of the way they met).

Pepper makes everything better (and worse). He still drinks and fucks and invents his way through life, but at least now he has someone beside him again. Rhodey is great (is so much more than he deserves) but he can't take calls while deployed and Tony needs to be able to _talk._ It's pretty much his defining trait.

Five more years crawl by.

He fucks up. Oh god does he fuck up. He's been stupid and blind and now he's a dead man walking. Or well, he would be walking if it weren't for the fucking car battery attached to his chest. He wonders if this was how Bruce died (because even if his heart refuses to accept it, his head knows Bruce is dead). Was he afraid and angry? Or was it quick?

Thoughts like this are never far from his mind as he does the impossible.

He builds a suit.

Yinsen dies.

He burns them and burns himself and the sand burns everything.

Then Rhodey is there and Tony can't help but cling to him.

(He wants to cling to Pepper in the same way, to wrap his arms around her and to never let go. But he won't, can't, doesn't.)

Later, after _hamburgers_ and the press conference and sending Pepper home for the night, Tony is finally alone. It's a weird feeling. He hasn't been alone in so long it almost freaks him out. So, he focuses on The Plan. His eyes have been opened and he's not about to close them again. His weapons have been used for terrible things and he won't allow that to go on.

He's just started the plans for a power system that would allow him to utilize his arc reactor more efficiently when he realizes he's not alone.

"Tony," the other man says from his position leaning against a counter across the room. It takes Tony nearly two seconds to recognize him and another two to wonder why JARVIS didn't alert him to the intruder. Then, he's lurching across the room.

"Bruce?" He gasps.

He swings a wild fist when he reaches his old friend. It's intended to be a punch but is poorly aimed in his shock and Bruce catches it with ease. Tony notices for the first time that his formerly scrawny friend is now a good three inches taller than he is. The baby fat that padded his face the last time Tony saw him is gone, replaced by almost gaunt angles and a hard look to his eyes.

"Hi," Bruce smiles and it's the cold sort of smile that Tony remembers. He returns the gesture weakly.

"Where have you been you bastard?" he asks.

Bruce's smile warms. "Oh," he says, "here and there. I heard you've been travelling yourself?"

Tony snorts. Travelling. That was one way to put it. But, something in the way Bruce says the word tells Tony that perhaps they have something in common in this regard.

"Are you okay?" Bruce asks more seriously. He's looking Tony over with a careful eye and Tony feels like all his weaknesses have been laid bare. He's too tired to do the same to Bruce. Instead he remembers that his old friend is now over six feet of what appears to be solid muscle and resolves to annoy him into telling the full story later.

"I'm fine," Tony bluffs. He really really not, but hey if Bruce is allowed to lie by omission and pretend to be dead for seven fucking years, well Tony can wait a few days to tell him the full story.

"Okay," Bruce allows his answer, "So, what's this?" He taps the arc gently.

And suddenly it's like they're ten and twelve again. Tony is explaining and gesturing and Bruce is listening with a fascinated look on his face. It's perfect.

(Tony doesn't introduce Bruce to JARVIS just yet. So he's a _little_ vindictive. Sue him.)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This was supposed to be from Bruce's POV, but Tony just could not be suppressed. So, more Tony POV. :D

Warnings: Language

 **Tin Soldiers: Part 2**

Weirdly enough, Bruce is not Tony's favorite person on Earth. That honor belongs to Pepper and Rhodey (he's never quite sure who he admires more- Pepper kisses him and that's pretty great, but Rhodey keeps Tony from killing himself doing something stupid, and that's pretty awesome too).

Bruce is, well, Bruce is hard to define. He's been a part of Tony's life longer than anyone else he knows. At this point, Tony isn't even sure who _Tony Stark_ is without Bruce Wayne at his side. So really, Bruce _can't_ be Tony's favorite person, because Bruce is as much a part of who Tony is as Tony himself. (If that makes any sense at all- Tony thinks it does, but Pepper had only stared at him when he tried to explain, so maybe it's actually crazy-talk).

The Avengers don't really get it. But, then, they've never met Bruce so he supposes he can forgive them their ignorance. But, he's hopeful that they'll manage to see past the grumpy prickly exterior to the warm fuzzy (and okay, still pretty grumpy) core of Bruce.

The first time Bruce visits is… an experience.

It's been nearly three months since New York and the sky opening and Loki and- Tony has to force his mind away from those thoughts. It's been three months since _it._ Bruce hasn't visited but, hell, Gotham has its own shit going on. It always does.

Bruce arrives before the others are up for the day. He's dressed in Armani and sporting the darkest circles under his eyes that Tony has seen since himself in the mirror every morning.

"Late night?" Tony waggles his eyebrows suggestively. Bruce has this weird playboy persona thing going on. The younger man was never one for drinking and partying before he vanished for seven years, but now- now it's like he trying to be all the worst bits of Tony rolled into one amazingly douchebagy package. Tony finds the whole act both upsetting and adorable, not that he'll ever tell Bruce that.

Bruce does not deign to respond beyond a mild glare. He reaches out and snatches Tony's smoothie from the table and drinks. Tony rolls his eyes. He snaps his fingers at DUM-E and the bot starts fumbling with the smoothie making equipment.

Bruce has never been one for long conversations, so they get to work. Tony's not really sure why Bruce thinks this is relaxing. He's just left behind his work in Gotham to come do Tony's work in New York. It's weird, but then, _Bruce_ is weird so Tony guesses it makes a strange sort of sense.

They've worked for a few hours in relative silence (that is to say, Bruce has been mostly quiet and Tony hasn't stopped talking) when the glass door hisses open.

"Tony," Banner says, his face buried in his clipboard, "Something about this reading is-" He looks up and blushes violently.

"I – uh, I didn't realize you had company," he mutters. "I'll come back later."

Tony exchanges an amused glance with Bruce. "This isn't company," Tony gestures to Bruce with a smirk.

"Nope, He hasn't even offered me a drink yet." Bruce smiles at Banner. "Of course, I'm not convinced he offers anyone drinks. He's a terrible host."

Bruce's casual air seems to relax Banner even as Tony's staring at his longtime friend in confusion. When the hell had Bruce learned to be charming? It's downright creepy the way Bruce is smiling- like he doesn't want to punch Banner at all…. Bruce always wants to punch _everyone_ , he's punched Tony more times than Tony cares to think about.

Banner has returned the smile and shuffles his papers so he can step forward and reach out with his right hand, "Bruce Banner," he introduces himself.

Bruce nods, "I've read your work." Banner seems surprised by that. "Bruce Wayne, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

And that's that. Banner seems confused about why Bruce Wayne, who has a greater reputation as an empty headed moron than Tony ever did, would care to spend his time in Tony's lab. But, he doesn't voice those questions and that is enough for Tony.

(He'll never admit it out loud, but he desperately wants all the separate parts of his life to come together and just be happy, dammit.)

Banner stays for nearly an hour. He seems happy to listen to the flow of Bruce and Tony's conversation and only interjects a few times with pointed comments that make both billionaires stop and think for a moment before continuing. It's great.

Bruce is still working his way through the pile of equations Tony had thrust at him when lunch rolls around. Pepper is in China working to secure a trade deal and Happy went along with her (He called it a vacation but Tony was fairly positive he planned to follow Pepper everywhere and bodyguard the hell out of her, Tony was okay with that). So, they venture from the lab and into the main part of the Tower.

The Avengers have been living in the tower for nearly a month now and Tony has finally started to expect their presences. Thor is, of course, still kicking it on Asgard. But, the others sleep in their designated rooms fairly regularly. He has no idea what they get up to during the day but they're at least reliably around at mealtimes.

So, when he and Bruce enter the kitchen it's to Rogers, Romanoff, and Clint all sitting around the large island with sandwiches and chips. There's an empty plate in the sink which Tony takes to mean Banner has already been and gone.

All talk ceases when Bruce follows Tony into the room.

"Awkward," Tony sing-songs. He likes the Avengers just fine, really he does. But, they are far from the most subtle lot.

Bruce jabs him in the back sharply but smiles at the others, "Pleasure," he rumbles in that way too fake voice he uses around everyone but Tony and Alfred, "I'm Bruce."

Romanoff and Clint nod. Of course they already know who Bruce is, Tony thinks almost bitterly, it's not like they left anything in his life a mystery when they- Another jab from Bruce. Right, don't dwell. Of course, Bruce is hardly the one to be dispensing that advice; he's practically the King of Dwell.

Despite his efforts to get caught up on the world, Rogers looks baffled. To his credit, he recovers quickly.

"Steve Rogers." Tony has to stifle a groan when Rogers actually stands to shake Bruce's hand. Ridiculous.

Bruce is Tony's best friend, obviously he knows of Tony's distaste for Rogers because his returning nod is slightly stiff.

"I take it you haven't heard of me?" He asks and the look on his face is so Brucie Wayne that Tony has to stop himself from doing anything past a smirk.

The warmth fades a little from Roger's eyes as he responds, "Well, I've been a little out of the loop, you see."

Clint jumps in with, "Wayne here is the only guy possibly richer than Tony in America." Rogers nods as if that means something to him and goes back to his sandwich. Just like that, Bruce has been summarily dismissed by the Avengers as another of Tony's ilk.

It's infuriating. Tony seethes through his frozen smirk. How dare they dismiss his- his _Bruce_?

He opens his mouth to tell them exactly where they could shove their lukewarm greeting. The words are stopped by another jab at the center of his back.

 _Leave it_. Bruce's eyes say. Tony doesn't want to. Bruce takes two boxes of Chinese take-out from the fridge and shoves them into Tony's hands and then places a hand on Tony's back. The message is clear and Tony acquiesces. He'll have time to bitch the others out later.

Nothing else happens that day. Bruce and Tony spend the afternoon in the lab and, as afternoon turns to evening, Bruce leaves for Gotham. Tony almost goes upstairs then, almost. He manages to refrain and instead stays in his lab until Pepper returns.

He bitches and complains to her for three hours before she manages to convince him not to quit the team on principle.

(It's near thing.)

Bruce's next few visits don't improve the rest of the Avenger's attitudes towards him. In fact, they seem to have grown slightly colder towards Tony as well (which is completely ridiculous, they were getting along _fine_ before!).

They seem to think that because he's a _hero_ now Tony should be beyond his – how did Natasha put it? Oh yeah, "Beyond the silly little billionaire boys club." Clint had a particularly graphic description of where he'd like to shove the silver spoon Bruce (and Tony) apparently clung to. Rogers, the star spangled boy scout that he is, seems particularly offended by Bruce but he won't tell Tony why. Their reactions almost end any hope of a true friendship with Tony. He can't abide people who dismiss his friends.

Bruce doesn't seem bothered by Rogers' cold demeanor or the snide looks the super-spy twins keep sending him. The truth is, Bruce doesn't seem bothered by much of anything lately and it's starting to really worry Tony. So, Tony tries not to let it annoy him either (he does buy the brand of coffee he knows Natasha hates, and maybe rents raunchy movies to bother Rogers, but hey, he's petty).

At least Banner seems to not actively hate Bruce, which is great. Sometimes, Bruce manages to slip away from the mess that is Wayne Enterprises and they get to spend all day in the lab. Bruce talks to DUM-E like no one else does. The eager-to-please robot nearly falls over himself to greet Bruce when he arrives. Tony hasn't quite figured out how the bot recognizes Bruce. He doesn't have a dedicated space in his memory core for that sort of processing after all. But, that lack doesn't seem to stop DUM-E from practically wriggling with joy as soon as Bruce walks in. It's sickeningly adorable.

Eventually, Tony even manages to not be so annoyed by the others attitude towards Bruce. Sure, it means he's not likely to be their friend anytime soon. That doesn't really matter so long as they can still work together in the field, though, so he's not concerned.

He ignores the niggling feeling in the back of his mind that he's missing something huge and instead pretends everything is okay. It's an old game, one he knows Bruce hates for him to play; pretend long enough, hard enough, and all your problems go away.

Or, at least, that's what Tony pretends.


	3. Chapter 3

Pairings: Bruce/Rachel (nothing past Dark Knight canon), mention of Tony/Pepper

Warnings: Language

 **Tin Soldiers: Part 3**

The first time Steve feels the stirring of true affection in his gut for Tony Stark is when the Joker tries to burn Gotham down around the ears of the poor souls who live there. It's not a connection that seems obvious at first because, as far as Steve knows, Tony never goes to Gotham. When the two billionaires socialize it tends to be in New York. Steve has lost count of the number of times he's tried to talk with Tony about Avengers business and been ignored in favor of the empty eyes and loose grin of Bruce Wayne. It's infuriating.

The worst of it is that Tony _knows,_ he knows exactly how much Wayne irritates Steve _._ It's in the wicked gleam in his eye when Steve tries to talk to them, the cutting jabs at Steve's anachronisms. Steve hates it. But, worse than that is the realization that he's beginning to hate Wayne. It's a feeling he's previously only felt for true enemies and it makes him feel a little ill to recognize the sensation in the pit of his gut.

At the root of it all though is this; Steve is a lonely guy. He really always has been. Before the serum he had Bucky and only Bucky. After the serum, well, for a brief wonderful period, he had a large (very strange) family. Stark, Peggy, DumDum and the Howling Commandos, and as always, Bucky. They gathered around him and he protected them and for the first time in his life Steve felt like he belonged. (It's only after he wakes up and everything he held dear is gone that he thinks maybe making a family in a war zone wasn't his brightest idea…)

So, when he opens his eyes and the world has gone the way of those science fiction serials Bucky loved to read, Steve can't help but feel a little bitter. He misses Bucky so much it hurts, some days he can't even remember what it was like to _not_ miss Bucky. Desperately, he looks up the Howling Commandos in SHIELD's database and immediately wishes he hadn't. Believing his friends to have grown old, surrounded by families of blood and bond, is better than what he learns (more wars, more battles, more than the government Steve used to believe in has ever had a right to ask from her people). His misses the way Peggy walked, the sure sway of her hips and the blood in her gaze. She's still around, but visiting her only reminds him of all he's lost and that hurts more than he can say.

He stays lonely.

Then, there are the Avengers and honest to goodness _aliens_ (both friendly and not-so-friendly) and Steve has a new family. A little sister with more life experience than any of them wanted to think about and a collection of brothers whose disparate personalities should never have mixed. And yet, they meshed better than Steve ever could have hoped for- all save Tony. Because Tony has Pepper and Happy and Colonel Rhodes, he has _Wayne-_ He doesn't need the team the way Steve does.

So, Steve resents Wayne. At least, he resents Wayne until the Joker and the Batman and the day everything changed.

* * *

The call comes at half past eight in the morning. The rest of the Avengers are off doing whatever it is they do when not Avenging or training (or trying to set Steve up on dates – he really needs to talk with them about that, it's getting ridiculous). Steve and Tony are seated on opposite ends of the long breakfast bar. Steve has a large plate of eggs and toast, eating quickly as he reads the paper. Tony has some sort of bright green concoction and a tablet. He hasn't spoken a word to Steve since he staggered in and glared the blender into submission.

They both jump when the phone rings. Tony jabs at the tablet until Jarvis announces-

"Mr. Pennyworth on the phone for you, sir."

Tony gestures at the ceiling and flip his tablet over so the screen is face down on the table.

"What's up, Alfie?" Tony asks.

"I'm afraid Mr. Wayne will not be able to attend yo-" The voice that answers sounds so much like JARVIS that he almost wonders if this is some strange prank of Tony's. But, Tony seems genuinely upset when he responds.

"Are you kidding me, Alf?" He leans heavily on one arm. "He needs-" He glances at Steve and winces before continuing, "Why can't he come?"

There's a noticeable hesitation from the other end of the line and Tony sits up straighter.

"Alfred?"

A few moments of silence pass before the man on the other end of the phone speaks again, "I advise you turn on the news, Mr. Stark." The line clicks closed.

"JARVIS!" Tony snaps. He's standing now and Steve's not sure he's ever seen the other man so obviously tense. Even during the Chitauri incident he had always seemed calm and in control.

The television in the living room pops to life.

"Oh God," Tony breathes when he sees the images flashing past behind the stricken reporters, "Fuck." Steve agrees wholeheartedly. _Fuck._

Tony clasps the slim bracelets that call the newest model of the Iron Man suit onto his wrists, Steve sends a quick text to Fury and the rest of the Avengers, and they set off for Gotham. As he's going through the pre-flight checklist, Tony glances up at Steve.

"Why are you coming?" His hands are flying across the controls and his shoulders are locked so tight that Steve's own ache with sympathetic pain. "I'm going to see if my idiot friend has got himself killed doing something stupid. You barely _tolerate_ Bruce."

Steve nods. "I know," he says, "I don't like him, but he's important to you and you're-" He cuts himself off in embarrassment. Steve might not like Wayne, but (almost against his will) he likes Tony. Instead of saying _that_ he finishes with, "Your head isn't in the game. I won't lose a teammate because he's too concerned about one civilian to see the big picture."

Tony glares but doesn't try to stop Steve from accompanying him after that. Steve counts this as a win. (No matter what anyone else says, he's still a scrawny kid from Brooklyn at heart- he'll take his wins where he can get them.)

* * *

Steve knows from the news that Gotham is so much worse than it was in his time. It's strange, everywhere else is shiny and chrome and so very _future_ that it hurts, but not Gotham. Something about the grimy streets and hard eyed citizens reminds Steve of a Hooverville. The city wasn't like this before, she was always hit hard by rough times, but before the citizens banded together and endured. Now they cross the street to avoid each other and the thick layer of smog that settles over the dark buildings seems to sap any optimism from the air. Steve feels like he can't breathe.

He's been to Gotham only once before so he has to trusts that Tony knows where he's going when the commandeered jet bypasses the airport and heads for a tall building in the center of the city. They land on a concrete pad and Tony leaves the jet without a backwards glace to see if Steve is following.

Inside is a penthouse as lavishly appointed as the top few floors of Avengers Tower. A few months ago Steve would have felt uncomfortable in such luxurious surroundings, but he's spent the last weeks sleeping in a bed more comfortable than anything the 1940s had to offer and eating food that would have made his ten year old self weep with joy- his bar for luxury has raised a tad.

"Alf!" Tony calls. He's moving erratically and Steve realizes for the first time how very much Bruce means to Tony. It's a slightly bitter realization; would Tony be this scared if it were Steve or someone else who-

"Bruce!" Tony interrupts Steve train of thought. "Get your scrawny ass down here you giant fop!"

"Language, Mr. Stark." An elderly man in a pristine suit admonishes Tony from the top of a flight of stairs.

"Alfred!" Tony bounds across the room and grasps the man's shoulders. "Alf, what's going on? Where's Bruce?"

Even without having meet the other man before Steve can see the weight on Alfred's shoulders. Tony backs away as the man hesitates.

"Alfred?"

Alfred sighs, "I am," he pauses and swallows before continuing, "unsure." It's a lie. Steve can see that without trying, but Tony believes him and Steve is not about to challenge the man before they've even been introduced.

"Right." Tony nods, "Right. Steve, let's go. We need to go find my idiot before a crazy fucking _clown_ kills him. God, I fucking hate Gotham. Weird shit like this never happens in New York."

"How are you going to find him?" Alfred asks.

Tony smiles for the first time since they left New York, "I may or may not have put a tracker in his coffee the last time he visited." He glances down at his watch. "Shit, the jet needs five more minutes before we can take off." He casts his gaze around the room, "What's that?" Steve moves so he can look into the trashcan Tony is pointing at.

Thin curls of smoke waft up from the remains of a sheet of paper. Steve can barely make out delicate writing and the name 'Rachel'.

"Who's Rachel?" he asks.

"What?" Tony pushes at him so he can look into the can. "Alfred, what's going on?"

The weight on the old man's shoulders increases and Steve wonders at what point it will be too much for him to bear.

"Ms. Dawes is dead," Alfred reveals and Tony staggers, reaching out desperately for the edge of the counter-top. Alfred continues, seemingly without regard for Tony's reaction, "She was killed and Mr. Dent was… maimed."

"Harvey too?" Tony breathes, "Oh god." He's on the edge of a panic attack, breathing heavily and clutching at his arc reactor.

"Mr. Dent is alive," Alfred reassures but his voice is so flat that any comfort Tony might have taken is leeched out by the silence before it can reach him. There's a whole life falling away from Tony that Steve never even knew existed. His heart aches for his friend.

Steve decides enough is enough. "Mister-?"

"Pennyworth," Alfred provides, "Please call me Alfred. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rodgers, despite the circumstances."

"Likewise," Steve nods and turns his attention to his ailing teammate, "Tony, why don't you take the Iron Man suit and start searching for Bruce? I'll get some more information from Alfred and follow in the jet."

A plan seems to provide Tony with the anchor he needs to calm down and he's pulling a tablet from the inner pocket of his suit jacket before Steve can blink.

"The tracker only has a quarter-mile radius," he explains, "Here." He trusts the tablet at Steve. "Take the jet and-" He suddenly cuts himself off and looks unsure. It's a look Steve doesn't associate with the normally cool and confident man. "I mean, if you want to help?"

Steve scoffs. It's completely ridiculous that Tony thinks he wouldn't want to help find a helpless civilian. But, Alfred is staring at him and Tony is still tense and scared and it suddenly dawns on Steve that perhaps Tony's insecurity reflects more on how Steve has acted than on Tony himself.

He makes sure to soften his stance when he responds, "Of course I want to help, Tony."

The grin he receives is the most genuine thing he's ever seen from Tony. The same sort of fondness he feels for the rest of the Avengers fills his chest and he returns the smile with one of his own.

* * *

Bruce knows he should tell Tony about Batman. It's ridiculous that he hasn't yet. Tony shared Iron Man with Bruce from the very beginning, when the suit was only a pile of scrap in the desert and Tony was still a livewire of nightmares and fear. But, Bruce is afraid. He's afraid that he waited too long and now finding out will be the same sort of betrayal that Tony has already endured too many times, afraid that Tony will learn the truth and turn away from him.

So Bruce lies to himself.

He tells himself Tony will understand. They've kept secrets from each other before.

He tells himself that it doesn't matter. He's the goddamn Batman and he doesn't need friends.

Eventually, he stops telling himself anything.

He thinks he's managing to balance Batman, Brucie Wayne, and being just-Bruce fairly well when the Joker descends on Gotham. It's hell and everything Bruce had so carefully balanced falls to pieces. The Joker is a fucking madman, he doesn't care about the people he kills, doesn't care about the money he steals, doesn't care about anything. Bruce feels like he's one step behind every step of the way.

He fucks up, or he's too slow, or not smart enough. He hurts too much to figure out which it is. Because Rachel is dead and Harvey, Harvey who was the hope for Gotham, he's not around anymore. Two-face ruined everything Harvey was in his last hours. Everything Bruce has hurts. His heart, tentatively hoping that this time it will be different, that this time he could be happy, is broken. Dashed to bits by a bomb and some gasoline.

He catches the Joker. He saves Gordon and his family. He takes a bullet in the gut and a hit to save the reputation of a once-good man. He flees and he falls.

His father's words drift across his mind, this time in Tony's voice.

 _Why do we fall?_ Bruce can't answer the apparition. He presses his lips closed against the pain and the world fades away.

The next thing Bruce is aware of is a jostle of his injured shoulder and a quiet voice whispering, "Wayne? Wayne is that you?" It's embarrassing, but Bruce panics. He knows without having to think that he's still in his Batman suit, no one should be using the name 'Wayne' just then. He forces himself to his feet, snatching at one of the pouches on his belt and hoping for something useful. A smoke pellet meets his fingers and he hurls it at the ground.

Then, desperate to get away, he crouches to the ground and tries to leap back- only to find he can't get up. Agony is rolling over him in sharp waves from somewhere around his middle. Hazily, he wonders if this is the result of the Joker's dogs, Harvey's bullet, or some other assault that's currently slipping his mind.

The person in front of him moves and Bruce remembers to be afraid. As subtly as he can, he shifts an aching arm around his back to grasp at the pouch of batarangs.

"Batman?" the voice drifts to him through his haze and he pauses. He knows that voice.

"Rogers," he groans. Great, just great. Of course Tony would find out about Batman when Bruce is too injured to properly explain. "Are you alone?"

"Yes. Here, let me help you." Hands are on his shoulders, lifting him with no effort at all. Bruce represses the urge to jerk away. He doesn't hate meta-humans like he once might have (after all, most of his colleagues are meta of some form or fashion) but he's injured and heartsick. Right now, Bruce wants nothing more than to curl up and lick his wounds in the Cave. He pulls away as soon as he's sure he can stand on his own.

"What are you doing here?" He bites out around the pain. Then, realizing he has no idea where _here_ is, asks, "Where are we?"

"The southern tip of Gotham," Rogers has to consult a map before he can answer. Bruce nods sharply, cursing himself. He must have been delirious- the only thing to the south is Wayne Manor and the original Cave, neither of which are ready for human habitation yet. Hurt and cut off from communication with Alfred, he had tried to go home. Bruce shakes his head in disgust at his own weakness.

"What are you doing here?" he repeats. He doesn't like Rogers, any more than he thinks the other man likes him. Bruce loves Tony with all the emotion his shriveled heart can muster. He's one of two people on Earth Bruce can call family and he's not willing to give Rogers the benefit of the doubt, not when the super soldiers remarks had hurt Tony so badly during the Chitauri incident, not when Rogers now has the ability to destroy Bruce and Tony's friendship.

"Tony was worried when Alfred said you couldn't make it to your meeting," Rogers explains.

Bruce barely restrains the sneer that wants to curl across his face. Of course _Tony_ was worried, that wasn't what he had asked. Instead, he repeats himself yet again, this time with proper emphasis.

"Why are _you_ here?" Rogers has the good graces to look a little ashamed at that, but, to his credit he doesn't shy away from answering.

"Tony is-" he pauses looking for words and Bruce understands. How did you describe Tony Stark? The man was magnetic, even people who _hated_ him liked him.

He nods and Rogers sighs in relief for not having to find the right words for Tony. "Where are you injured?"

Ten minutes later Bruce is settled in the back of a quinjet, trying to remove his armor without making his injuries worse than they already are. He's managed to get through the outermost layer when Rogers appears at his side again.

"Are you-?" He seems hesitant in a way that Bruce has no idea how to deal with. No one in his life is _hesitant_.

"Just get this off," Bruce grunts. He gestures to the armor on his stomach. Something is wrong with the latch and Bruce can't reach around to unclasp it. He can feel the blood pooling under the armor and there's a desperate need growing in his chest to be free of the constricting armor.

Rogers obliges and the armor is suddenly gone. Cold air hits his sweat soaked chest and for a moment Bruce has to fight back tears. It feels like daggers are lancing through him and he can't-

"Bruce?" Rogers' voice grounds him and Bruce is able to force the pain back into the dark place behind his heart. He blinks his eyes open to see that Rogers has the quinjet hovering in place.

"Help me out of this armor," Bruce orders, "Do you have any civilian clothes?"

Rogers looks a little lost for a moment before he seems to realize what's going on.

"Tony doesn't know."

Bruce yanks off his undershirt and probes at the gunshot wound. "Of course not," he snaps, "And you aren't going to tell him." He puts as much steel into his voice as he can manage through the exhaustion and pain. Rogers might be The Captain, but Bruce will not be denied. Not in this, not in something so important.

Rogers agrees, though he looks mutinous.

* * *

At first, Steve wants to go against the promise Wayne extracted from him. Tony needs to know that his best friend is risking life and limb without even the meager protection of an iron suit and flight. They're standing in the hospital room Alfred and Tony insisted Bruce stay in for at least a night. He gets as far as opening his mouth to say the words when Tony starts talking.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He snaps at Bruce. Bruce had told Tony he was assaulted by a group of thugs high on the chaos of Gotham and looking for an easy target. "There's a fucking clown blowing up shit all over town, shooting people, killing-" His voice breaks. Bruce reaches up and grasps Tony's hand for a second.

"Rachel is dead," he mutters when he lets go of the other man's hand. "I don't- I'm not sure what-" He pauses and Steve wonders if he should leave the room. This is obviously something private between the two. "She was going to leave him for me."

Tony's face crumples. "Bruce," he whispers. Steve thinks about how Tony is with Pepper, gentle and sweet in a way he isn't with anyone else, eyes filled with wonder that a woman so amazing would want to be with him. He wonders if that's what Rachel was like for Bruce.

Steve leaves the room. He'll give them a few hours to gather themselves. If there's one thing he knows about Tony it's that he hates to be weak in front of people.

It's five hours after he leaves, Steve is watching Tony and Bruce and feeling like an outsider once again. This time though, he doesn't really mind. He thinks he gets it now- Tony isn't choosing Bruce over the Avengers (over Steve)- it was never a choice. Bruce is part of Tony's life and it's the Avengers who need to accept that or Tony will pull away from them.

"Stop touching my hair!" Bruce is batting at Tony's hands. He's got a large grin on his face, despite everything that's happened to him in the last few days, and Steve is suddenly grateful. He's grateful that both Bruce and Tony seem willing to let the Avengers be a part of their lives, he's grateful that Tony has a family (because Steve is pretty sure Howard completely failed at the _parenting_ part of being a parent _)_ , but most of all he's grateful that he didn't completely dismiss the pair of billionaires out of hand.

He'll give Bruce a few weeks to tell Tony about Batman. Then, Steve is doing it. He won't lose Tony over a lie. Steve is a lonely guy, but he thinks maybe with the Avengers and with Bruce he doesn't have to be, not anymore.


End file.
